WHILE singing blues may be a way of expressing one’s torment with one’s lot, it’s also a way of sending gloom away: raise your voice and suddenly the problems aren’t half as big as they seemed.

The Blues Kitchen in Camden Town takes the idea that a bluesy atmosphere is a crucial ingredient to dining out and so ladles it on like they’ve got a neverending vat of the stuff bubbling away in the kitchens.

A visit to this diner is a marvellous assault on the senses, from the wafts of barbecues to the chatter of guests and the 12-bar tunes working their way over the hubbub.

And then a menu that encourages you to get those fingers dirty.

Everything in this popular American-style diner feels exuberant, and the staff’s honest enthusiasm adds to the sense that this is not just a good place to unwind, but a place where things happen when the sun goes down. Dashing between tables like a well-oiled machine, our waiting team added a lot of sparkle.

Settling in, this feels more than a meal out. Across the venue, you can see people getting ready to indulge: that’s what the Blues Kitchen is really about. Whether it’s choosing a delicious cocktail – try the super spicy Margaritas with a chilli crust around the glass’s rim, providing a tongue invigorating zip – or lingering over a feast, this is decadence in the middle of Camden. You’re out, out when you’re in at the Blues K.

Soul, blues, rhythm and blues, funk – the music wafting over the diners suits the atmosphere, filling you with a sense that you have been transported to the type of place the residents of New Orleans head to on a Friday night. Over December, you can pair up their excellent eats and party atmosphere with performance by the fantastic Big Joe Louis.

BJL is a two-times winner of the UK British Blues Award for best vocalist and is plotting up at our Blues Kitchen for a series of performances with his trio through December. With live music of this quality every night, proper happy hour cocktails (namely affordable and delicious), and big plates that mirror the exuberant décor, music and game for a laugh staff, the Blues Kitchen is proud of what it does and how it does it: and rightly so – this is Americana food cooked with relish, a menu one imagines would not be out of place at a Texan roadside diner, but done with a quality some places that sell burgers do not always aspire to.

The BBQ section of the menu is a standout and like nothing else available in an area with plenty of foodie options.

Lightly cured pork ribs are cooked at a snail’s place over hickory charcoal. The meat sighed its way off the bone, rich, glutinous and indulgent, with the subtle smoky flavours. A beef short rib for two is cooked in similar fashion, its twist being the mac and cheese on the side and corn ribs with a thick and tangy buttermilk and blue cheese dressing. Jerk chicken is fantastic – the right spice and as succulent as possible.

Don’t worry if you are a vegetarian. The falafel-style salad was delightful, and charred padron peppers came with chipotle mayo that was licked clean. We will return for the charred corn & black bean gumbo with rice and fried okra.

It is hardly surprising a restaurant that offers such Americana fare on its plates and live rock and roll on the bill should advertise a side called Bacon Gravy: indulgent, fun and unashamedly about good times, the Blues Kitchen is a force of nature, a place where any blues you may have are firmly left at the door when you are greeted by one of the staff, a team firmly sold on what they are doing for a living – and whose confidence on their menu is shared by the diner after the first, smoky bite.

Blues Kitchen
111-113 Camden High St
NW1 7JN
020 7387 5277
bookings.camden@theblueskitchen.com